The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-08-17
MAIL CAR CLERKS.
SOME FACTS ABOUT THE RAIL
WAY POSTAL SYSTEM.
A Thousand Cars and Five Thou
sand Clerks - Severity of the
ExaminatiOn-Wha an Ex-
pert Clerk Must Do.

In New York letter to the Troy
Times, "Hermit" says: How few of
those who 80 continually receive letters
and newspapers have any idea of the i'm
mensity which our postal system has
reached. l was recently informed by a
member of the department that the
weight of postal matter sent from this
city daily is not less than ESQ tons,
which, in the days of our fathers. would
have loaded ship. Taking the entire
year at the average. the annual aggre-
gate would be 90, 31G tons, one-fifth of
which is carried on the Central Hudson
road. The railway postal system is a
development due to the rapid increase in
business, and though it was hardly
known twenty-five years ago, it is now
an indispensable feature in the operations
of the day.
The modern mail car is really travel
ing postoffice. When the idea was first
introduced the mails were put up by the
local postmasters, and oil required of the
railway man was to receive and deliver
the pouches. Now, however, the car is
fitted up as postotfice, and complete
system of distribution is maintained.
The mails are received in bulk, and the
clerks distribute while in motion, a duty
which requires great rapidity and pre-
cision. Taking national view of this
system, I find it divided into nine great
divisions, all of which are.under the su
pervision of Thomas E. Nash, general
Superintendent of the railway postal SER
vice. His Office is at Washington, and
his salary is "a, 500 which he we'll earns,
as his duties are very laborious. He
travels necessarily, and must be In con-
slant readiness to obey a telegraphic
summons to any place where difficulties
may arise. He has nine assistant super
intendents, one to each division.
1t is estimated that the railway postal
system requires 5000 men, and as they
average five to q car the number of
postal cars cannot be less than 1000.
As a frst-class car costs $4,000, the
reader can form an idea of the capital re-
quired. There are 100 railroads in this
State on which postal cars are employed.
Each car, as have said, contains crew
of five, one of which is generally green
hand learning the business, and there.
fore required to do the rougher part OF
the work. Applications for employment
are made through some influential man
generally the Congressman of the dis
trict-and the appointment is limited to
six months. The candidate is subjected
to an examination of miscellaneous read
ing, the test being batch of envelopes,
and he is expected to read the address OF
100 in from five to seven minutes. He
is not obliged to do this, for, however
dull he may be, his job is good for six
months, the pay being $50 a month:
Another important requisite is good
bodily health, and especially eyesight.
He is set to work Immediately, and if he
does not give satisfaction he Is dropped
at the end of the term.
If the candidate display an adaptation
to the work he is at the close of his pro-
baton subjected to another examination.
The scene is miniature postoffice, with
the usual array of boxes for making up
the mail. A large number of envelopes
sometimes cards are used) is handed
him, and he is required to place them in
the boxes proper for their destination:
This requires not only rapidity OF
thought, but also knowledge of locality,
and to become an expert one must have
natural gift for geography. One of these
candidates distributed $500 addressed
cards in three and a half hours, and
ninety seven per cent. of the whole num-
ber was correct. The same task has been
done by an expert in less than two hours,
but it was a severe effort. 1t is required
of the candidate that ninety-fve per cent.
of this distribution be correct, or ne is
dropped. The necessity of this familiar
ity with postoffice localities is evident
from the fact that every postal car has
III pigeon holes for New York and 23O
for Pennsylvania, together with others in
proportion. Pennsylvania contains more
postotfices than any other State in the
Union, and though most of them are OF
minor importance the clerk must know
the best way of reaching them. These
examinations are held either in this city
or in Syracuse under Chief Examiner
Warning, whose tests are complete bar
against all incompetents.
The pay, however, at best is small, at
least for the service required, and ranges
from $50 to s115 per month. No can
didate is eligible under sixteen, but the
most desirable age is from twenty-seven
to thirty-two, since the faculties are
rarely fully developed until some years
after reaching manhood. Old men are
not wanted, and though there is man
still in service at sixty, he is rare excep-
ton. Old men may be able to 60 through
q routine, but postal clerks are often re-
ouired to perform double duty, which
could not be expected of aged persons.
The service between this city and
Chicago requires 800 men, all of whom
work very hard. The morning train
leaves at four o'clock A. NJ, but they are
required to be on hand two hours earlier
to get their work ready, and they are
kent busy until they reach Syracuse,
where they are relieved, and the next
day resume work and return on the pos
tai train. Some who are very available in
other points find the service too hard for
health, especially when liable to kidney
disease or vertigo. A clear head, strong
and adroit muscle and rapid calculation
are requisite, and hence few become per-
mancntly successful. In fact, Of all the
public servants there are none who so
thoroughly earn their money as the rail-
way postal clerks.
Something About the Bicycle.